


Keep Your Friends Close

by Ulalume



Series: Shadeaux Legacy [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-12 10:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/810525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ulalume/pseuds/Ulalume
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on business on Nar Shaddaa, Darth Velimai senses something curious about a nearby freighter captain. She enlists the help of a former member of Imperial Intelligence to investigate the captain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Keep Your Friends Close

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published to tumblr on August 27 and September 1, 2012.
> 
> Spoilers for Sith Warrior, Smuggler, and Imperial Agent Class stories.
> 
> Written as a response to SWTORWrites Prompt 10: Blood relations and SWTORWrites Prompt 11: Non-Blood relations.
> 
> Establishing background for three original characters: Imperial Agent Deathcupcake, Darth Velimai, and Smuggler Ulalume.

Ulalume sat at the table on the promenade, her half-eaten meal cooling, tapping into her datapad. While she waited for Corso to get back from his errand, she figured she’d update the language mods in her cybernetics. One never knew when updated slang would come in handy on her runs. She decided she should also see if the subliminal frequencies were in order, although she’d rarely ever used them. It was comforting to know that she had them just in case, but the buzzing in her jaw as the tests ran made her lips go numb. She glanced mournfully at the food on her plate. She should have remembered that the tests made it impossible to eat.

Her fingers paused over the cute note Corso had put on her ‘pad. He was no longer as naive as when she’d let him first tag along with her, but he still had his fascination with weapons. He treated them like family. No, more like lovers, but she wasn’t jealous. His weapons had saved them many a time. Hell, she even thought of Torchy and Sgt. Boom Boom as family, too. Her hand dropped to her side to touch Flashy, smiling as she remembered her farm boy’s earnest gift.

Lately, Corso had been all crazy family talk again, and his note reflected that. She did her best to deflect the conversations because he could get so excited talking about children, although she was sure some of his excitement was directed towards the actions involved in making a child. The thought of having their own children did make her smile, though. They’d definitely have to have more than one. She might be transferring her wishes to her children, but she had always wanted a sister. Someone to confide in, someone related by blood. She wanted her children to know that bond.

Ulalume smiled to herself and gently touched her stomach. She would have someone related to her by blood soon. Corso would probably decide they had to baby-proof the entire ship. He’d probably want to baby-proof Akaavi, too.

ooooOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOoooo

Velimai looked up from her table. She disliked Nar Shaddaa. The atmosphere was too frenetic for her, the pulses through the Force too full of unharnessed greed and anger, ecstacy and dulled wits. Unsuitable. But this thread was subtle and distinct. She could feel it, steady and tranquil underneath the noise. She scanned the area, enhancing her readout until she zeroed in on the dark-haired woman across the plaza, and wondered why she had noticed her out of the hundreds of patrons in this plaza. The woman was clearly from the Republic, and Velimai was certain that she had never spoken with her before, not before working for the Emperor, and certainly not since. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the eddies in the Force, trying to puzzle out the meaning. She only managed to grasp a fleeting impression of sister.

Velimai opened her eyes and looked at the woman again, capturing her image and storing it for later download. An unbidden thought floated up, and she wondered what it would be like to have a sister.


	2. Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cipher Deathcupcake meets Darth Velimai, post-Chapter III.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally published to tumblr on August 27 and September 1, 2012.
> 
> Spoilers for Sith Warrior, Smuggler, and Imperial Agent Class stories.
> 
> Written as a response to SWTORWrites Prompt 10: Blood relations and SWTORWrites Prompt 11: Non-Blood relations.

Deathcupcake felt the vibration of her holocom but ignored it, letting it record the message.

She took careful aim, breathing steadily, concentrating on the direction of the wind. Everything looked to be in order, and her grip reflexively tightened. She exhaled and let go. The stone sailed through the air, skipping six times before sinking into the water.

A quiet laugh behind her, then arms around her, breath on her ear. “That was a good try, but we still win.”

She turned her head, planting a kiss on Vector’s cheek, and sighed.

“It’s time to go.”

Now Vector’s turn to kiss her her cheek. “We have come to love this place as you do. We look forward to returning. Soon.”

ooooOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOoooo

Cupcake checked her ‘com at the spaceport. The call was on a specific frequency, not the usual one. She would have to wait to decrypt it on the Phantom, then. This was no doubt something of importance. She spent the shuttle ride wondering just what the Emperor’s Wrath would ask her to do.

ooooOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOoooo

Cupcake had met Darth Velimai at a private function, both of them warily watching the crowd mingle from an alcove, not wanting to participate in the celebrations.

When Cupcake had first agreed to do reconnaissance at the event, she figured it would be fairly simple. That was, until she learned that the Wrath herself was going to be present. She had taken extra precautions, installing frequency shields, hoping to get close enough to the Wrath to do some reconnaissance for herself. It wasn’t every day that she’d be near such a key figure in the Empire. She had no intention of getting mixed up with any Darth — not those from the Dark Council, and certainly not the Wrath — but she keenly wanted to see her firsthand. Temple had warned her that she might fool the cybernetics, but she was unlikely to fool the Force. Still, the opportunity to observe was too good to pass up.

She hadn’t expected that Darth Velimai would take cover in the same alcove, startling Cupcake, who was in the midst of transmitting freshly-sliced security data.

Velimai had been the first to talk. Perhaps she already knew why Cupcake was there, or perhaps she just knew that whatever Cupcake was after, it didn’t concern her.

“These functions are tiresome.” Velimai’s flat tone, although soft, cut through the silence.

Cupcake turned to face the Wrath next to her. “I expect you like to cut to the chase, my lord. It is rather a lot of pageantry.” She took a sip of her drink, studying the cyborg. There was something different about this Darth, something less menacing than most. But still deadly, she reminded herself. She’s the Emperor’s Wrath. Be careful.

“I’m here as a favor,” Velimai didn’t state for whom, and Cupcake wouldn’t presume to guess.

“So am I,” Cupcake smiled.

“I hope your employer pays well, Agent,” the Wrath stressed the word. “This noble house is full of secrets but guards them well.”

Cupcake merely blinked, then nodded. “I think I just lost a bet.”

They had both laughed, a little uncomfortably, then Velimai bid her goodnight and wandered off. Before she left the alcove, though, she turned around, thoughtfully eyed Cupcake and — as Cupcake expected — cut right to the chase. “I think I can use your services. We’ll speak again.”

A few days later, Cupcake received a note containing only a private frequency. She hadn’t had an occasion to use it — she wasn’t sure she wanted to — but she programmed it in. It wouldn’t do to not accept a call from the Wrath.

ooooOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOoooo

Cupcake and Vector boarded the Phantom, checked in with the crew, and unpacked.

“Sweetheart, I hate to ask, but I need to answer this message in private.” She ran her hand down Vector’s back, leaning up to kiss him.

“Of course, Agent.” His warm smile offsetting the formality of the word, the gentle pressure of his hand briefly gripping hers before he left their quarters, closing the door behind him.

Cupcake turned on the ‘com and opened the frequency, running the message through the decryption keys.

“Agent.” Velimai’s clipped accent. “I need information on a Republic citizen. I am transmitting an image of her. I need to know everything you can uncover. Send your reports directly to me.” There was a brief pause, followed by “This is to be kept completely off the record. I trust you will not fail me.” The promise of punishment or death evident.

Cupcake pondered. The request was not odd, but it surprised Cupcake that the Darth had not just ordered someone on her own payroll to do the work. She had done her research and was sure that someone on her crew had the skills. So why had the Darth contacted her? Was it a test?

She checked the image. It was of a dark-haired woman, sitting at a table, looking at a ‘pad. She had cybernetics in her jaw. It had been taken from a public area in Nar Shaddaa, she was certain. The embedded data in the image pointed to a camera model used in cybernetics. That meant Darth Velimai had taken the photograph herself.

That was enough to pique Cupcake’s curiosity, but she pushed that aside. She moved to her desk, tapping into channels, sending out feelers, starting encrypted searches. It didn’t take long to compile the information.

Her curiosity went up a notch. According to the data she had gathered, the woman was Ulalume, a smuggler who seemed to be largely employed by the Republic. But she had a Mandalorian in her crew. Interesting. Ulalume was married to a Corso Riggs. That didn’t seem to be of interest, and further research on Riggs didn’t turn up anything out of the ordinary. Still, Cupcake found herself becoming more fascinated. This smuggler was seemingly no one, yet she had been working for the Empire under the guise of working for the Republic. When she discovered this, Ulalume had killed the recruiter.

She gathered more research, looking further back in the woman’s history. Ulalume had been brought up on Coruscant, her family unexceptional, school marks middling. Comments in her record indicated she had major attitude, but that she had shown an aptitude for piloting. Her parents had paid for that training before they died in an apartment complex fire.

There was no mention of the cybernetic implants aside from regular updates and replacements. It seemed that the implants had been present from an early age.

Cupcake finally uncovered adoption records for Ulalume, and a note that implants for her — and her sister — had been provided gratis, by the company that had employed their parents. She was unable to find any additional information, but this seemed good for now. She would continue the work tomorrow.

Cupcake sent the encrypted information to Darth Velimai and disconnected. She stood and stretched, then headed for the galley. A snack, a shower, and bed sounded good to her.


End file.
